Latch



1936. J. T. BIGLIN LATCH Fi led June 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheei 1 IN VENTOR.

(Jo/7w I Bid/flu A TTORNEY,

Feb. 18, 19350 I J B|GL|N 2,081,522

LATCH Filed June 30, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOh/Z/ :ZY Bfy/frv,

INVEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in door or gate latches of thattype in which a loose ring is employed as a keeper for releasableretaining engagement with a projecting pin or bolt rigid with the dooror gate to be fastened.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a latch of theabove kind. in which the keeper ring is of such character and so mountedthat it will instantly return to lowered latching position after beingraised and passed by the bolt, thereby providing a latch which is quickor unfailing in action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a latch of theabove kind which is simple and durable in construction, eflicient inuse, and attractive in appearance. 7

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlatch of the above kind of novel and durable construction in whichimproved means is provided for manually releasing the keeper ring fromthe inner side of the -door or gate.

With these and other object s in View, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is afragmentary elevational View of a door and door frameequipped With a latch constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. V

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 looking at the opposite side ofthe door.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 with the keeper ring inreleasedposition.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide bracket for thekeeper ring-releasing lever; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the combined handle and latch pinmember.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the present invention includesa keeper unit composed of a narrow hollow casing 5 open at the bottom asshown in Figure 4 and having rear lateral attaching flanges 6 by meansof which it may be rigidly fastened to a door frame or gate postadjacent the free vertical edge of the associated door or gate as shownin Figures 1 and 2. Loosely suspended in and from the casing by atransverse pin l is a keeper ring 8, the pin 1 being preferably mountedfor limited vertical movement in elongated slots 9 provided in oppositesides of thej'casing' 5 adjacent the front wall of the latter. In thisway the keeper ring 8 is allowed to move bodily to a position entirelywithin and above the bottom of the casing 5 as shown in Figure 5 for apurpose which will presently be apparent, although being normallysuspended from pin 1 to project a considerable distance from and belowthe bottom of said casing 5 as shown in Figure 4. The pin I normallyoccupies a lowered position at the lower ends of slots 9 which arelocated in close proximity to the front wall of easing 5 and terminateat their lower ends in close proximity to the bottom of said casing 5.The lower end of the front wall of casing 5 is cut away or notched as atID for a purpose which will presently become apparent.

Bolted or otherwise attached to opposite sides of the door or casing lladjacent the free vertical edge of the latter, as at I2, are horizontalU-shaped strap metal handles l3 and I4 adapted to be grasped tofacilitate opening of the door or gate from either side thereof whenunlatched. As shown, the handle I 4 at the outer sideof the door or gatehas an integral extension on its outer end to form a projecting pin orbolt rigid with and extending outwardly beyond the outer free edge ofsaid door or gate so as to be movable with the latter in a horizontalpath directly beneath the bottom of casing 5 of the keeper unit. Thisrigid latch pin or bolt, indicated at I5, is adapted to assume aposition adjacent the door frame or gate post l6 inwardly of the keeperring 8 when the door or gate is closed, so as to prevent movement ofsaid pin or bolt [5 away from the door frame or gate post l6 and therebyef fectively secure the door or gate H in closed position. Due toengagement of keeper ring 8 with pin 1 and the lower edge of the frontwall of easing 5 at a point outwardly of the pin or bolt l5 and in closeproximity to the horizontal path of movement of the latter, opening ofthe door or gate is positively prevented until the keeper ring 8 ismanually shifted inwardly and upwardly within the casing 5 and out ofthe path of movement of said pin or bolt I5 as illustrated in Figure 5.By mounting the pin 1 in elongated slots 9 and cutting away the frontwall of casing 5 as at I0, the points: of contact of the keeper ring 8with pin 1 and with the front wall of casing 5 are brought as close aspossible to the bottom of casing 5 and the path of movement of the upperedge of pin or bolt l5 when the parts are in latching position, therebypreventing any possibility of forcing the keeper ring 8 upwardly toreleased position by a mere outward pull on the gate or door. This makesseparate manual release of keeper ring 8 absolutely necessary forrelease of the gate or door, and due to the vertical movement allowedpin 1 in slots 9, said keeper ring 8 may shift upwardly into casing 5complete- 1y outiof the path of pin or bolt l5 even. though the latteris arranged to move in a path in close proximity to the bottom of saidcasing 5.

To facilitate manual release of the keeper ring 8 from either side ofthe door, I provide a release lever consisting of a horizontal shaftportion l1 journaled in horizontal alined openings provided in the outerends of handles l3 and I l and in the door or gate ll, said shaftportion ll having a suitable operating knob or handle l8 secured on theprojecting inner end thereof, and being formed with an integrallaterally extending actuating arm I9 on its outer projecting end, saidarm l9 extending beyond the outer free vertical edge of the door or gatell so as to extend beneath the keeper ring 8 outwardly of the latch pinor bolt l5 when the parts are in latching position as shown in Figure 4.The arm l9 loosely extends through a vertically elongated slot 20 in theoutwardly projecting outer end of an angular bracket 2| bolted to theouter end of handle M by the same bolt which fastens said outer end ofhandle M to the door of gate H. In this way the actuating arm I9 ispermitted limited vertical movement so as to allow complete lowering ofkeeper ring 8 to latching position when the arm I9 is in its lowermostposition, and to permit such upward movement of arm l9 as to effectcomplete release of keeper ring 8 from and above the path of movement oflatch pin or bolt l5. This will be readily seen from an inspection ofFigures 4 and 5, wherein the arm I9 is engaged with the bottom of keeperring l8 when the latter is lowered to latching position, and properelevation of keeper ring 8 is had upon swinging actuating arm l9upwardly by manual rotation of the shaft portion ll of thekeeper-releasing lever. The inner portion of actuating arm I! may be ofoutwardly bowed form as at 22 to form a handle by means of which saidactuating arm l9 may be manipulated from the outer side of the door toeffect release of keeper ring 8. Also, by engagement of actuating arm ISin slot 20 of bracket 2|, in combination with the engagement of theshank of handle l8 with handle l3, endwise or axial movement of shaftportion ll relative to the door is prevented so that the proper relationof arm IS with latch pin or bolt I5 is maintained to insure properengagement of actuating arm IS with keeper ring 8 to effect release ofthe latter when desired to open the door or gate. As shown, the innerportion of bracket 2| is preferably of channel-form to snugly fit overthe outer end portion of handle I 4 and maintain the bracket againstturning about the bolt l2 by which it is secured to the door or gate. Itwill be seen that the outer ends of handles l3 and. I4 form durablemetal bearings for the shaft portion ll of the keeper-releasing element.Moreover, the compact and durable construction illustrated and describedinsures continued eflicient operation of the latch without getting outof order, as well as facilitating ready installation of the latch foruse.

It will be noted that the keeper ring 8 is in the form of a relativelythin annular band of metal possessing resiliency. Also, due to locationof the suspension pin 1 for the ring 8 in close proximity to the frontor outer wall of casing 5 and the normal engagement of said ring at itsouter side with the lower edge of said front or outer wall, said ring isnormally suspended to extend at a downward and inward angle orinclination from the pin 1. At the same time, said ring extends at agreater upward and inward angle or inclination from pin 1 when raised.

- return to lowered latching position, and such return movement isaccelerated by rebounding of the resilient ring inwardly and downwardlyfrom the front or outer Wall of easing 5 upon striking said wall abovepin 1. The result is instantaneous return of the ring to loweredlatching position as soon as the bolt l5 has passed the ring, therebyproviding a latch which is quick or unfailing in action. This overcomesa serious objection to prior latches of this type, in which the ringsimply lowers by gravity somewhat more slowly and often fails to catchand hold the bolt when the door or gate is slammed, and in which thering is normally vertically suspended from its highest point and allowedfree swinging movement entirely about the suspension pin or outwardlypast a vertical plane intersecting such pin. The provision of notch [0allows the ring to lower sufliciently beneath the casing 5 so that thebolt l5 may engage said ring above its center, whereby a mere outwardpull on the door or its bolt will not cause the ring to rise and releasethe bolt.

Minor changes are contemplated within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed, and while the latch is especially useful inconnection with doors and gates, it will be apparent that it is capableoi general application and use where the separable connection of twomembers is desired.

What I claim as new is:

In a latch, a casing open at the bottom and having an outer and sidevertical walls, means to rigidly secure said casing to a door frame orthe like, a horizontal pin mounted in and extending between said sidewalls of the casing in close proximity to said outer wall and near thebottom of the casing, a resilient keeper ring loosely suspended fromsaid pin and normally engaged at its outer side with said outer verticalwall of the casing so as to be normally supported by the latter inlatching position at a downward and inward inclination from said pin,said ring being free to be swung inwardly and upwardly in an arcuatepath about said pin when struck by a latch bolt during closing of thedoor or the like, said ring further being limited in its upward swingingmovement by said outer wall to a released position wherein the ringextends at an upward and inward inclination from said pin, whereby saidring will instantaneously swing downwardly and outwardly in such arcuatepath back to latching position due to gravity and rebounding of the ringfrom said outer wall for positively engaging the latch bolt to hold thedoor closed as soon as the door reaches its completely closed position,the outer wall of the casing being cut away at its lower end and saidside walls of the casing having alined vertical elongated slots allowingsaid pin limited vertical movement so that the ring will swing upwardlyto a released position entirely above the bottom of the casing and willlower to a latching position with its center below the bottom of thecasns.

JOHN T. BIGLIN.

